


If Only in My Dreams

by lunarshores (damichan)



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Bat Family, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Cookies, Couches, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 16:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8998276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damichan/pseuds/lunarshores
Summary: In which the Batkids decide Jason should be home for Christmas, where he belongs.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ImaKaraTabiHe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaKaraTabiHe/gifts).



> Happy holidays to everyone and may 2017 be much better! 
> 
> This was written for tabihe as a Christmas card. Thank you so much for the request, I really enjoyed writing it! Sorry it's a bit late!! I hope you enjoy <3

Jason didn’t think too much of it at first. That was his biggest mistake, but to be fair, his family was insane. When he stumbled into his closest safehouse on the first of December, favoring a cracked rib,. All he’d wanted was to collapse onto his worn, secondhand couch, which despite him picking up for free from a couple of college kids (so secondhand was probably optimistic) was the most goddamn comfortable piece of furniture in the  _ world. _

And he’d lived in Wayne Manor. He knew comfortable, even if the worn, fourth-hand, free couch was much more his style that the pretentious crap Bruce always had.

So when he flicked on the lights and Christmas erupted from his formerly dingy undecorated apartment, he drew a gun, but he didn’t leave, not yet. The people who might make it in here safely, much less find it, were few, and while some might want to kill him, they’d be unlikely to decorate first. Christmas music crooned from a stereo system that definitely wasn’t his and the entire room was strung with garland and lights. 

By the window was a tree  _ almost _ too big for the space, decorated in purple and gold. With black bows, what the fuck. The whole things should by all rights look tacky, garish, but it somehow worked despite the lack of space in the shitty studio. 

Jason looked around once more, baffled.

What the hell were they thinking? They were long gone by now, of course. He could see the whole studio and there was nowhere for the interlopers to hide.

There was a purple post-it note stuck to the fridge, and Jason ripped it off, glaring down at the cheerful writing.

_ Jay! _

_ You seemed in need of some festive cheer what with the excessive scowling so Cass and I took it upon ourselves to help you out. _

_ <3<3<3<3 Steph _

_ Ps. Check the fridge! _

Jason lips twitched at the note. He’d worked with those two the most since the truce had been in place. With Steph and Cass, there wasn’t been any past memories, any bitterness, any expectations not like with the others. 

He glared again at the garish decorations, only now noticing instead of a star or an angel, there was a bat more suitable for Halloween on top. Despite himself, he grinned. He could probably deal with it if those two knew where he lived. They wouldn’t rat him out to the other bats, and Babs already knew. 

Curious despite himself, he opened the fridge and laughed. There were two massive stacks of waffles teetering, along with every topping you could think of. 

Steph and Cass had been on the comms tonight too, on a mission from the way they’d spoken, he’d blocked out as part of the usual chatter.

Operation Gamma his ass.

Once safely ensconced on the couch, after devouring several surprisingly good waffles, lights twinkling all around him, he pulled out his phone.

_ I’m still never calling you sister. _

**_You keep telling yourself that, big brother._ **

 

~~~

He should have switched safehouses. He knew that. The fact that he didn’t was of course all to do with the couch and nothing to do with with ridiculous bat tree.

But he knew it was stupid, so he couldn’t say he was surprised when he opened the door and turned on the lights.

Tim, of all people, perched on his counter (how long had he been sitting there in the dark, the creep) sipping coffee from Jason’s second-favorite mug, he was really tempted to just turn around walk out, bleeding gash on his arm or not. He had other safehouses. They didn’t have the couch, but they also didn’t have his fucking nosy Replacement.

“Those traitors.”

Tim blinked at the decorations, his eyes landing on the bat on top of the tree, and Jason stiffened.

“You have interesting taste in Christmas decorations. I never would have thought it.”

“The two blabbermouths that told you where to find me did this mess.”

Tim frowned. “I found you on my own. It isn’t exactly hard you know.” He looked at the decorations again. “Must be Steph and Cass. Dick would never be so restrained.”

Jason turned on his heel without a word.

“I need your help.”

The quiet words echoed over the soft Christmas music Jason still couldn’t figure out how to turn off and keep the lights on. Jason froze, one hand on the door. The perfect replacement, the pretender needed help from  _ him _ ? He laughed at the thought and turned around, slouching against his door.

“What kid, you need someone dead but don’t have the guts to break Daddy’s precious rule?” Jason sneered

Tim didn’t flinch, just took a sip of his coffee, shook himself a bit, and swung down to pour Jason a cup, adding a splash of milk and no sugar. Jason decided it was really inevitable that Tim knew how he took his coffee and that it would have been disappointing if the mug Tim handed him hadn’t been his favorite.

He looked up at Jason sardonically. “If I decided I wanted someone dead, they would be,” he said, and Jason had to work to keep from gaping at the silky violence in his tone. Tim shrugged. “I don’t want anyone dead.”

Jason was silent, waiting. The gash on his arm was still oozing blood from underneath the makeshift bandage

“You go out on patrol with Black Bat and Batgirl.” Tim fiddled with the edge of his sleeve, all dressed up in his Red Robin suit except for the gloves which he’d tossed on the arm of the couch. 

“Not exactly willingly,” Jason said, before he thought better of it.

Tim grinned. “They are hard to say no too, but I thought the big bad Red Hood would manage.”

“I’m pretty sure I did say no. I don’t want anything to do with any of you.” 

And ended up flat on his ass, Cass’s heel putting just enough pressure on his throat to understand she meant business. Tim grinned at him like he knew exactly what Jason was thinking. 

“I have a case I could use a little back up on.”

“Why don’t you just get Goldie to help?”

“I’d prefer not---are you bleeding?”

“Probably.” Jason shucked his jacket with a hiss and inspected where some idiot had managed to graze him with a knife. They’d been using kids, the bastards. A few had managed to give him the slip, but they’d be wishing they hadn’t. “Yeah.” 

Jason headed toward the cabinet that the first aid kit was in, but Tim beat him to it, herding him to the couch and slapping his hands away from the needle when he tried to take it.

“I can do it myself!”

“It’s on your right shoulder, you idiot, you’ll never be able to stitch it properly.” Tim’s hands were steady as he carefully cleaned out the wound. “Don’t have any antiseptic?”

Jason glared. “No, and I don’t need your help.”

“Well too bad, you’re getting it, now shut up.”

Despite his tone, his hands were gentle, and Jason barely felt the pull of the needle as he sewed the wound up much more neatly that Jason would have ever managed with the awkward placing. “The lead I have told me the shipment would be in tomorrow in your part of town.” Tim’s hands deftly wound the bandage around his arm and Jason hissed. “Dick wouldn't be nearly as helpful as you would be.”

Jason bit back the obvious mark against himself. He hadn’t wanted to kill the Replacement in quite a long time. That didn’t mean he wanted to work with him though. Tim finished and flopped back onto the other half of the couch like he was in anyway welcome here and looked down at the faded couch in surprise.

“This is ridiculously comfortable.”

“I know. You can't judge everything by its looks.” 

“It almost makes up for the terrible decorations.”

Jason winced and looked around his apartment. “They weren’t my doing, that’s for damn sure.”

“I don’t know, I think they suit you.”

“Shut it, replacement.”

Tim extracted himself from the couch and slipped over to the window. “I’ll meet you here tomorrow at midnight,” Tim said.

“Wait, I’m not---” But Tim was already gone. Damn that was annoying when someone else did it to you.

The next morning Jason woke up on the couch to find a fresh newspaper on the table. The goons that had gotten away from him last night were found on the police headquarters steps, zip tied and with a whole pile of evidence that would make sure they never saw the outside world again.

Jason let a small smile settle across his lips.

They were going to have to talk when Tim showed up for the bust later because seriously when did that kid sleep?

~~~

When he opened the door and Damien was standing in the center of the room in street clothes looking judgmental at... everything really, but especially the couch. Jason bristled and shut the door behind him with a snap.

“Took you long enough to return home, Todd”

It was the middle of the day, so Jason had felt safe from visits from the other little bird that had been plaguing him lately, but this was getting ridiculous. He knew it was too much to expect any kind of privacy in this family, but  _ he wasn’t part of it anymore _ .

“Daddy know you’re here, baby bat?” Jason grinned ferally, hand resting on his favorite throwing knife.

“No,” Damien said cooly. “I came without his knowledge. He thinks I am shopping.’

Jason blinked. “Shopping?”

Damien made a disgusted face. “I am supposed to be buying Christmas presents, Todd.”

Jason decided he could let his curiosity get the better of him. What was the harm? “So why are you here?”

Damien shifted uncomfortably, his cheeks tinging red. “Dick said my choices were unacceptable.”

Jason snorted. That was hardly surprising. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

Damien bit his lip, then snapped, “I wish you to go shopping with me.” Jason’s jaw dropped because seriously  _ what?  _ “Both Dick and Father seem mildly fond of the gifts you gave them. You seem somewhat proficient at the whole gift buying concept.”

“What?” Jason wasn’t sure he’d be able to find other words.

“I brought cookies from Alfred---” He gestured to the tin on the table, and Jason lit up. ALfred’s Christmas cookies were irreplaceable. “---and I understand from the others you’re unreasonably attached to that...  _ couch _ .” Damien gestured at the couch as one might gesture at a rubbish heap. Jason blinked at it, noting that upholstery had come off the back again.

Jason nodded when Damien glared a  _ well? _ at him. He was unreasonably attached to the damn thing. That was why he hadn’t left this cursed safehouse yet.

“It will be difficult to move to your next location by yourself.” He eyed the couch again, distaste radiating off him. “ I will help you move it.”

“That doesn’t exactly help me with the whole secret safehouse thing.”

Damien rolled his eyes. “You do seem particularly inept at keeping your location underwraps, Todd. However, I won’t tell the others where you and  _ I  _ am hardly likely to drop by.”

Jason forbore to mention that that was exactly what he was doing right now. It seemed unlikely for it to happen again. He was all set to kick the baby bat out, but he saw Damien shift from foot to foot in front of him, seemingly unable to figure out what to do with his hands. He remembered his first Christmas in the manor, the wonder of it, but also the confusion, the anxiety that what he picked wouldn’t be good enough to make Bruce and Dick want to keep him.

He was so going to regret this. But Bruce and Dick still had his presents, had told Damien about them. And he looked so... lost.

Jason sighed and took a cookie.

“So where are we going first, baby bat?”

“Tt---I thought you were supposed to be deciding that.”

 

~~~

When Jason came home to Dick sprawled out on the couch, that was the last straw. The others he could handle, but Dick...

“Get out.”

“Hey, little wing! I love what you’ve done with the place,” Dick said, springing up fluidly.

“For the last time, it’s not me!” Dick snickered, but Jason had had enough..

“Why are you all doing this? Just leave me alone!”

"Because we love you, you idiot, and we don't want you to be alone." Dick glared up at him. “It’s Christmas asshole. You might be enjoying ignoring us, but we miss you, okay?” Dick slumped, shrinking in on himself. “I miss you.”

Jason almost caught himself reaching out, and he drew a gun instead. He wouldn’t give Dick any sympathy.

“I said get out.”

Dick’s smile was a mockery of the bright expression that used to bother Jason so much when he’d visited, and it twisted the knife a little deeper into Jason’s chest.

“Yeah, I got the message, little wing.” He sighed, and Jason wasn’t ever sure he’d seen Dick look so tired. “Just... Christmas dinner is the usual time. It’d mean a lot to the little birds and bats if you showed up.” He tried to force his fake smile into a grin, and Jason lowered the gun. “At this rate, you’re going to overtake me as favorite older brother.” Jason didn’t move, and Dick nodded as if he’d answered.

“Merry Christmas, little wing. I had to try, you know?”

With that he stepped past Jason and slid out the window without a single showy flip.

~~~

On Christmas Eve, Jason found himself on the doorstep of the one place he never thought he’d be again without being quite sure when he’d decided to do this. He drew in a deep breath and knocked. The minutes stretched, and he was just about to turn away, unsure if relief or disappointment was what he was feeling, when the doors opened to Alfred with Bruce off to the side.

“Master Jason,” Alfred said, eyes suspiciously bright. Bruce stood stock still three steps behind Alfred as he shook himself and ushered Jason in..“Do come in out of the cold. Don’t you own a proper coat, young man? I thought I taught you better than that.”

Jason scoffed. “Merry Christmas, Alfred.”

He locked eyes with Bruce, anger rising, but before he could say anything, a purple blur hurtled itself into his arms.

“Jay! You came,” Steph said, and Jason grinned at her. “Guys,” she hollered, “Jay came!” Cass melted out of the shadows and squeezed his hand, positioning herself between him and Bruce automatically.

Tim skidded into the foyer, Damien suspiciously on his heels. Tim smiled at Jason and hugged him “You’re a lifesaver, seriously. Best timing ever.”

“Grayson was forcing us to play this infernal game called Twister,” Damien added as he stood near enough to allow Jason to tousle his hair. Jason tried and laughed at the glare he received. “It does not end.”

“It ends when you fall over, Damien,” Dick said, and he smiled at Jason, his real smile this time.

“Tt---as if that game would cause any of us to fall over.”

“It was awful,” Stephanie confided to Jason, but Bruce stepped forward, and everyone froze.

Bruce wore his usual scowl, and everyone ever so slightly shifted to make it clear they were with Jason, which was stupid. He didn’t care if the old man kicked him out, and they shouldn’t either. But instead of kicking him out as Jason expected, he smiled, and his voice was suspiciously tight when he finally spoke. “Welcome home, Jason.”

“Whatever. I’m not here for you,” he said, and Bruce smile’s grew.

“Enough drama, let’s eat!” Stephanie said, and shoved Jason toward the dining room, the others following. Dick pouted, trailing behind them.

“But guys, what about Twister?”

“NO!”


End file.
